Brooder ventilation structure



SW1@ uw; A, W, BRUCE 1g23,54

BxzooDEn VENTILATION STRUGTUBE Filed Nov. 12. 1930 2 Sheets-sheet 1 sept15, 1931., A. w. BRUCE 1,823,54

BROODER VENTILTION STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 12. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 da#@was Patented Sept. 15, 19,31 1

UNITED STATES PATENT y `caricia ALBERT W. BRUCE, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA,ASSIGNOR T0 BARKER POULTRY `EG:U'IEllLl\1"l l COMPANY, 0F O'ZLTU'MWA,AIOWA, A CORPORATION OF` IOWA BRooDER VENTILATION sfrmrccrniii:y

Application filed November 12, 1930. Serial No. 495,163. p

An object of my invent-ion is to provide a brooder ventilation structureof simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction. v g i t Afurther object is to `provide a structure in which crates are providedfor fowls 'and a chamber instead of being discharged thereinto andre-breathed by any of the fowls, with the result that each fowl receivesabsolutely fresh air, which of course promotes the health of the fowlsand by actual test has been found to increase their weight overa givenperiod, when compared with the weight of fowls which 11e-breathe the airin the broeder structure. Such a system of ventilation also prevents thetransmission of disease from one fowl to another orfrom the fo-wls inone of the crates 'to'a fowl in another crate, since none of themre-breathe the air exhaled by another fowl. p A further object istoprovide a ventilation systemwvhich promptly carries oil:l all odors, aswell as the exhaled air from the fowls.

A further object is to provide a brooder ventilation structurecomprising a closed chamber with a plurality of crates therein, eachcrate havin-g at least one open side for receiving air from within theclosed chamber and a means being provided for exhausting air fromanother side of the crate anddischarging it outside ofthe closedchamber,whereby air exhaled by the fowls the crates is not circulated throughthe closed chamber. e

Still a further object is to provide means for heating the air that isintroduced into the closed chamber, ,whereby the brooder strucl tureis-suitable for winter use.

Still another object is to provide .a means for 'selectively.controllingthe flow of venti- ,latlng airthrough each crate.

With: these and other objects in view my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the,accompanying drawings, in which: f,

Figure l is a perspective view of a broeder structure embodying-,myinvention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figurel'illustrating the construction of the crates and .associatedpartswithin the closed chamber of the broeder structure.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view show- ,.ing the. damperarrangement for controlling the ventilation of the various crates inwhich the fowls are kept.A

Figure 4 is an enlargedsectional view on the line of Figure'2illustrating details of the damper control; and` Figure 5 isadiagrammatic view 'showing a'larger brooder venti-lation lstructure withadditional heating unlts and crates.

Onl the accompanying drawings, ll have used the lreference character A'to indicate generally a" brooder house. The broeder house has a closedchamberlO and a heatingk chamber 12 may be provided in which to house aheating unit, unless some other A source of heating means, such as steampipes or the'like from the. heating plant of an adjacent building canbe' utilized;

Within the closedv chamber l0 of the brooder house A a battery of cratesB is located. The battery of crates B, as illustrated von thedrawings,consists of a plurality or-series of crates having open sides14 and perforated sides 16, the perforations of Which are indicated at18.

The open sides 14 may be made of heavy wire, spot Welded together andeach is preferably provided With a door 2O for gaining access to theinterior of the crate. Feeding troughs are indicated at 22. Each crateis provided With a mesh bottom 24 beneath which a removable dropping pan26 is located.

Imperforate ends 28, top 30 and bottom 32 are provided for eachvertically arranged plurality of crates 14. A suitable supportingframework isprovided for the part-s 14 to'i32 and includes supportinglegs 34 for supporting the battery B of crates 14 above the floor 36 ofthe closed chamber 1Q.

It will be noted that tvvo vertical tiers of crates 14 are illustratedin Figures 1 and 2 With their perforated sides 16 slightly spaced fromeach other. The space between these sides is closed in by end members38'a top member 40 and a bottom member 42. The members 38, 4() and 42constitute a manifold in communication With the crates 14 thro-ugh theperforations 'of the sides 16 of the crates.

` One of the end members 38 is provided with an openable door 40 forcleaning purposes.

For each crateV 14 a sliding damper plate 46 is provided having acontrol knob 48. Each damper plate 46 is slidably mounted against theperforated side 16 ofthe crate by means of brackets 50. Each damperplate is provided with a plurality of damper openings 52 adapted tocontrol the flowY of air through the perforations 18, depending on theposition o f the damper plate openings relative/to the perforations. f

Connected with the manifold formed of the Walls 38, 40 and 42 is anexhaust pipe 54 communicating with a discharge fitting 56. For instance,the exhaust pipel 54 may communicate with an attic space 58 formed inthe brooder house A With the fitting 56 in turn communicating with theattic. y

I preferably provide a forced draft means for the exhaust pipe 54, suchas a motor 60 and a fan 62. The bottom 42 ofthe manifold is providedwith inlet openings 64'With Which a damper plate 66 coacts. The damperplate 66 is provided with a control knob 68 and is slidably guided inguide members V?0. Damper openings 2 are `formedv in the damper plate66.

Gutside atmospheric air may be introduced into the closed chamber 10through any suitable opening and the air maybe heated in Winter ifdesired and for thispurpose I provide a heating means in the heatingcompartment 12. For instance, a hot Wateror steam radiator 74 may bebuilt into an air pipe 76 and hot Water or steam may be circulatedthrough the radiator from a boiler 78.

Supply and return pipes and 82 areildistributie' the circulating Vairthrough mostat 88 subject to the heat from the air stream iowing fromthe supply pipe 76 and through the radiator 7 4. The thermostat 88 maybe located Within the closed chamber 10 and may control an oil or gassupply valve 90 through a cable connection 92. Vheie a fuel, such ascoal, is used the thermostat control would of course have to beassociated With draft and check dainpers.

i PracticalA operation In the operation of Ytheventilating mechanism,air is Withdrawn from the manifold vbetween the crates 14 of the batteryB so that any air entering the cratesfrom the closed compartment 10,Whether introduced thereinto lin a heated state'or at outsideatmosphervic temperature, is promptly discharged t-o at- `mosphereinstead of being circulated through the closed compartment and inhaledby other fowls after once passing through the crates. The temperatureWithin the crates can be con trolled to some extent by adjusting thedamper plates 46, Which is especially desirable Where fowls of diiferentages are placed in the different crates.

It will thus be obvious that the fowls in each crate breath only freshair and a system of ventilation' is provided which eliminates the spreadof disease, as caused by vinhalation of foul air, after itlias beenbreathed by other foivls and all odors are' promptly carried away.Automatic means is provided for controlling the temperature of the airand by arranging the manifold so that it collects air from all of thecrates it is possible to evenly the plurality of crates. l a

To remove any cold air which has collected adjacent the floor 36 theopenings 64 are provided vin the bottom member 42 of the manifold andthe flow of air through these openings can bereadily regulated byadjust-- jing the damper plate 66. In Figure 5 I have shown adiagrammatic view in which aflarge closed chamber 10a is provided 'and aplurality of four crate batteries B are arranged therein With branchdischarge pipes 92 leading to a common discharge pipe 54a in which theexhaust fan 62a is mounted. If, one heating boiler 78a is foundinsuii'icient for the purpose` of properly heating the air in the closedchamber 10a, tWo heating chambers 12amay be provided with a heatingboiler located in each one.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose ofmy invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modifiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a housing for small animals, a chamber, a tier of compartments.therein spaced from the walls of the chamber so as to be substantiallyinsulated from such walls by the air in the chamber and arranged toallow access to the compartments of caretakers inside the chamber, eachcompartment being adapted to hold a plurality of small animals,

pumping means for supplying fresh air to the chamber, an air conductor`arranged to `receive foul air directly 'from the small animalcompartments and to convey it away so that none of such foul air canreturn to the chamber or compartments, each compartment communicatingwith the chamber and serving as a separate passage for air travel fromthe chamber to the conductor.

2. In a housing for small animals, a chamber, a tier of compartmentstherein spaced from the walls of the chamber so as to be substantiallyinsulated from such walls by the air in the chamber and arranged toallow access to the compartments of caretakers inside the chamber, eachcompart ment being adapted to hold a plurality of small animals, pumpingmeans for supplying fresh air to the chamber, means for regulating thetemperature of the air in the chamber, an air conductor arranged toreceive foul air directly from the small animal compartments and toconvey it away so that none of such foul air can return to the chamberor compartments, each compartment communicating with the chamber andserving as a separate passage for air travel from the chamber to theconductor.

3. In a structure of the kind described, a chamber, a tier ofcompartments therein, each adapted to hold a plurality of small animals,substantially insulated from the walls of the chamber by the air in thechamber an-d arranged to allow access to the compartments of caretakersinside the chamber, pumping means for supplying fresh air to thechamber, an air conductor arranged to receive foul air directly from thecompartments and to convey it away so that none of such air can returnto the chamber or compartments, each compartment communicating with thechamber and serving as a separate passage for air travel from thechamber to the conductor, and having damper means for controlling therelative air flow through such compartment to the conductor.

4. In a structure of the kind described, a chamber, means formaintaining a supply of fresh air under pressure in the chamber, tiersof animal holding compartments forming batteries spaced from each other,each compartment being adapted to hold a plurality of small animals, acommon air conductor formed between the tiers, and communicatingtherewith to receive foul air directly from the compartments and toconvey it away, so that none of such air can return to the chamber orcompartments, each compartment communicating with the chamber andserving as a separate passage for air travel from the chamber to theconductor, and means for regulating the relative flow of air through therespective tiers to the conductor.

Des Moines, Iowa, October 24:, 1930.

ALBERT W. BRUCE.

